Rila Monastery
Archaeology » Heritage sites» Rila Monastery
Location
Rilska River

Country
Bulgaria

Year of Research
1983

Culture
  • Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a recluse canonized by the Orthodox Church.
  • His ascetic home and grave became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria.
  • It was destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century, the complex was rebuilt between 1834 and 1862.
  • A characteristic model of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation.